Basketball rebound practice device



March 16, 1965 L. E. HAlR BASKETBALL REBOUND PRACTICE DEVICE Filed June13, 1963 IN VE N TO/? M rM LESTER E. HAIR ATTORNEYS United States Patent3,173,687 BASKETBALL REBOUND PRACTICE DEVICE Lester E. Hair, 315Frankwootl Ave., Reedley, Calif. FiledJune 13, 1963, Ser. No. 287,571 4Claims. (Cl. 273-) The present invention relates to a basketball reboundpractice device for the hoops of basketball goals and more particularlyto such a device which provides ready determination of a successful goalattempt and prompt return of the basketball to the playing areaautomatically to place the ball in play for successive rebounding orgoal attempts.

In the gameof basketball, rebounding and follow-up tip-in shots requiregreat proficiency. Thus, much time is devoted to the practice of theseskills. In order to provide the opportunity for the practice of suchmaneuvers, an initial shot must be missed. It is therefore difiicult toduplicate actual game conditions in practice sessions with dependableregularity for a player to become proficient in such maneuvers. When aplayer in practice attempts to miss a shot by aiming the basketball atthe rim or bankboard to cause the ball to return to the playing area forrebounding or tip-in practice, the shot is frequently inadvertentlymade, in which instance the ball drops dead below the basket. Therefore,it is desirable to provide a device which is effective to indicate asuccessful goal attempt but at the same time returns the ball to theplaying area for subsequent rebounding or tip-in attempts. In the past,electronic and mechanically operated devices have been employed for suchpurpose which have been either too costly for universal use or haveproven undesirable in operation and ditlicult to install and remove.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide abasketball rebound practice device which provides improved practiceprocedures in the development of players for rebounding and tip-inshots.

Another object is to provide a basketball rebound practice device whichis effective to provide ready determination of asuccessful goal attempt.

Another object is to provide a basketball rebound practice device whichis capable of insuring that the basketball remains in play duringrepeated goal attempts Whether successful or unsuccessful.

Another object is to provide a basketball rebound practice device whichis capable of dependably returning the basketball to the playing areaafter each goal attempt in a manner suited to rebounding and tip-inpractice.

Another object is to provide a basketball rebound practice device whichmay be quickly and easily installed and removed.

A further object is to provide such a device which is economical toconstruct.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will subsequentlybecome apparent upon reference to the following description.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the basketball rebound practice device ofthe present invention having a plurality of elastic members mounted onthe hoop of a conventional basketball goal.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the basketball rebound practice device andgoal of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary front elevation of the basketball reboundpractice device and goal showing an alternate flexed position of thedevice in dashed lines to which it is depressed by a basketball restedthereon.

FTGURE 4 is a somewhat enlarged fragmentary elevation of an inner end ofone of the elastic members of the device.

3,173,687 Patented Mar. 16, 1965 FIG. 5 is a somewhat enlargedfragmentary elevation of the outer end of the elastic member having areleasably snap mounted thereon.

Referring more paticularly to the drawing, a basketball rebound practicedeivce embodying the principles of the present invention is indicatedgenerally at 10. The device is adapted to be associated with aconventional basketball goal generally indicated at 11 which includes acircular hoop or rim 12. The hoop is rigidly supported on a bankboardfragmentarily shown at 14 by a bracket 16 secured to the bankboard by aplurality of nut and bolt assemblies 17. The hoop provides a pluralityof depending loop members 20 through which is strung a dependingcylindrical net 22. The net and hoop circumscribe an opening 24 whichreadily accommodates a basketball, indicated in the dashed lines at 25in FIG. 3. The bankboard 14 and the goal 11 are mounted in elevationallyspaced relation from a playing surface by a suitable support member, notshown.

The basketball rebound practice device of the present invention providesa web having a plurality of strands 32 of an elastic material, such asrubber or the like, providing inner and outer ends 34 and 35,respectively. The inner end 34 of each strand is return looped about acircular center ring 38 and is constrained in such position by a pinchring 39 tightly clamped about the over-lapped end portions of thestrand, as shown in FIG. 4. The outer end of each strand is similarlyreturn looped and secured by a pinch ring 40 through the mounting end 42of an individual releasable spring catch member 43, as shown in FIG. 5.For goals of conventional size, the strands are of the same length,preferably approximately three inches in length when under no tension,but have suflicient elasticity to accommodate stretched positioningacross the goal. Tubular surgical rubber tubing is excellently suited tothe purpose.

Operation The operation of the described embodiment of the subjectinvention is believed to be clearly apparent and is briefly summarizedat this point. Prior to a practice session, the basketball reboundpractice device 10 is mounted within the hoop 12 in blocking relation tothe opening 24 therethrough. In order to accomplish such mounting, thesnap members 43 are individually connected to the loop members 20 on thehoop Such connection is in the same ordered relationship as theconnection to the center ring 38 by the inner ends 34 so that thestrands are disposed radially of the rim 12 without crossing orentanglement. During such connection, the strands are stretched nearlythree times thier original length to pre-tension the web 39 in theopening 24.

When the basketball 25 is arched toward the goal 11 in a trajectory toclear the hoop 12, the basketball engages the web 30 with sufficientforce to flex the web downwardly of the hoop to the dashed-line positionof FIG. 3. Such flexing of the web permits limited entry of thebasketball through the hoop so as to provide ready visual determinationthat a goal has been made. The web 30 then provides a reaction force byreturn flexing to the original full-line position of FIG. 3 to eject thebasketball upwardly and outwardly of the goal. Thus, even with respectto shots properly directed for scoring purposes, the basketball isautomatically returned to the playing area to afford additionalopportunities for the players in rebounding and tip-in practice.

From the foregoing, it is readily apparent that the structure of thepresent invention provides an improved basketball return device whichdependably returns the basketball to the playing area for successivetip-in shots, rebounding and the like while permitting visualrecognition of successful shots. The return device of the present 3invention may be easily mounted on a conventional basketball goalWithoutalteration thereof for use during practice sessions andthereafter readily removed so that the goal may be employed forregulation play without impairment of any kind. 7

Although theinventionhas been herein shown and described in what isconceivedto be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it isrecognized that departures may be made therefrom within the-scope of theinvention, which'is not tobe limited tothe details disclosed herein butis to be accorded-the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any andall equivalent devices andapparatus.

' Having described my invention, what I claim as new an-d'desire tosecureby letters Patent is:

1. A' basketball rebound practice device, for a basketball goal having abankboard andahoopextended therefrom in a substantially horizontal planecircumscribing an'opening normally adapted to permit passage of a'basketball therethrough, comprising a resiliently flexible web having' aplurality of elongated elastic tension members providing inner and outerends, meansiinterconnecting said inner ends of the tension members,andfastener means connected to the outer end of'each of the tensionmembers individually to'connect said outer ends to the hoop disposingthe web beneath said-opening thereof with said connecting means at saidinner ends of the tension memberspositioned substantially concentricallyof the hoop to preclude." complete'passage of suchbasketballtherethrough whereby the web is flexed downwardly incidentto ballengagement to permit to'indicate a suc cessful goal with saidnelastictensionmembers returnan opening adapted to permit passage of abasketball therethrough and including a plurality of depending loopscircumferentially spaced around the hoop to support a net, comprising aresiliently'flexible web having a plurality of elongated elastic tension'mernbers providing inner and outer ends, a center ring interconnectingsaid' inner ends of the tension-members, and catch members individuallyconnected to the outer ends of the tension members individuallyconnectable to said'loops to dispose the web in downwardly spacedrelation below the hoop" with the opening through the hoop remainingclear of any restriction to permitifree'entry and discharge of thebasketball therethrough but blockingtravel of the basketball downwardlythrough the: net whereby the web is flexed downwardly, incident to ballengagement to permit partial entry of the ball into the net'to indicateasuccessful goal withl said elastic tension members return flexing toeject the ball upwardly outward from the hoop in a direction indicatingthe eccentricity from the center ring of said ball engagement with theweb.

3. A basketball rebound practice device, for a basketball goal having abankboard and a hoop extended therefrom in a substantially horizontalplane circumscribing an opening adapted to permit passage of abasketball therethrough and including a plurality of depending loopscircumferentially space-d around the hoop to support a net, comprising aresiliently flexible web having a plural ity of elongatedelastic'tension members providing looped inner and outer ends,means'constraining the ends in said looped arrangement, a center ringpassing through said looped inner ends to interconnect said inner endsin circumferentially adjacent relation thereon, and releasable springcatches individually connected to the looped outer ends offthetensionmembers in outwardly extended relation therefrom beingindividually connectable to said loops on-the hoop-to dispose the web ina substantially horizontal plane in closely spaced relation. bleow saidplane of the hoop with the opening through the hoop remaining clear ofany restriction to permit free entry and discharge of the basketballtherethrough but blocking travel of the basketball downwardly throughthe net with the center ring concentrically disposed therein whereby theweb is flexed downwardly incident to ball engagement to permit partialentry ofthe ball into the net to indicate a successful goal with saidelastic tension members return flexing to eject the ball upwardlyoutwardly fromthe hoop in a direction indicating the eccentricity fromthe center ring of said ball engagementwith the web, saidof each pair ina common plane substantially parallel to the hoop and in adjacent spacedrelation therebelow.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,612g920 1/27Hillstrom 273-26 2,694;572 11/54 Crisp 273-1.5 2,710,189 6/55 Carroll2731.S" 3,085,800

RICHARD c. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner. DELBERT B. LOWE, Examiner.

4/63 'Holstad 2731.5

1. A BASKETBALL REBOUND PRACTICE DEVICE, FOR A BASKETBALL GOAL HAVING A BANKBOARD AND A HOOP EXTENDED THEREFROM IN A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL PLANE CIRCUMSCRIBING AN OPENING NORMALLY ADAPTED TO PERMIT PASSAGE OF A BASKETBALL THERETHROUGH, COMPRISING A RESILIENT LY FLEXIBLE WEB HAVING A PLURALITY OF ELONGATED ELASTIC TENSION MEMBERS PROVIDING INNER AND OUTER ENDS, MEANS INTERCONNECTING SAID INNER ENDS OF THE TENSION MEMBERS, AND FASTENER MEANS CONNECTED TO THE OTHER END OF EACH OF THE TENSION MEMBERS INDIVIDUALLY TO CONNECT SAID OUTER END TO THE HOOP DISPOSING THE WEB BENEATH SAIDOPENING THEREOF WITH SAID CONNECTING MEANS AT SAID INNER ENDS OF THE TENSION MEMBERS POSITIONED SUBSTANTIALY CONCENTRICALLY OF THE HOOP TO PRECLUDE COMPLETE PASSAGE OF SUCH BASKETBALL THERETHROUGH WHEREBY THE WEB IS FLEXED DOWNWARDLY INCIDENT TO BALL ENGAGEMENT TO PERMIT TO INDICATE A SUCCESSFUL GAOL WITH SAID ELASTIC TENSION MEMBERS RETURN FLEXING TO EJECT THE BALL UPWARDLY OUTWARDLY FROM THE HOOP IN DIRECTIONS INICATING ANY ECCENTRICITY FROM THE CONNECTING MEANS OF SAID BALL ENGAGEMENT WITH THE WEB. 